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Universal thermalization dynamics in (1+1)d QFTs
by Richard A. Davison, Luca V. Delacretaz
Submission summary
| Authors (as registered SciPost users): | Richard Davison · Luca Delacrétaz |
| Submission information | |
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| Preprint Link: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.09112v1 (pdf) |
| Date submitted: | 2024-10-11 18:03 |
| Submitted by: | Davison, Richard |
| Submitted to: | SciPost Physics |
| Ontological classification | |
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| Academic field: | Physics |
| Specialties: |
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| Approach: | Theoretical |
Abstract
We identify the universal mechanism behind the thermalization of (1+1)d QFTs at high and low temperatures. Viewing these theories as CFTs perturbed by relevant or irrelevant deformations, we show that conformal perturbation theory in the thermal state breaks down at late times allowing for the emergence of hydrodynamics. This breakdown occurs universally due to the unsuppressed exchange of stress tensors near the lightcone. Furthermore, for theories with central charge $c\rightarrow\infty$ we solve for the emergent hydrodynamic theory to all orders in the gradient expansion by arguing that all transport parameters appearing in two-point functions have universal expressions in terms of the scaling dimension $\Delta$ of the perturbation. The radius of convergence of the hydrodynamic dispersion relations provides an early time cutoff for hydrodynamics, which agrees with the time scale at which conformal perturbation theory breaks down.
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- Detail a groundbreaking theoretical/experimental/computational discovery
- Present a breakthrough on a previously-identified and long-standing research stumbling block